What is unexpected is the muted response and non reaction from Lim Kit Siang himself. This student of Lee Kuan Yew did not even make a squeak on his blog about what his political guru had said.

Why?

Because, Lee Kuan Yew had stated this one statement in his interview:

“Now we have a very polarised Malaysia — Malays, Chinese and Indians in separate schools, living separate lives and not really getting on with one another. You read them. That’s bad for us as close neighbours,” he said.

This is the most damaging statement from the de-facto ruler of Singapore which had dented Lim Kit Siang’s chinese-centric DAP.

As we all know, Lim Kit Siang is against having a one streamlined national schools in our country. He is the main proponent of vernacular schools. Because of this strong support of vernacular schools, Lim Kit Siang is never, as he wished to proclaim himself as having a Malaysian first mentality.

He who is nauseatingly asking people to declare this and that should make the first proclamation by saying that he is 100% for national unity and harmony.

37 Comments

Penat dah kita dok merayu kat DS Najib to do the right thing.He simply didnt get it – is he?
I wish this article together with the one written by Demi Negara recently can be publish in the MSM for all to read.Is that asking too much? They didnt get it – do they?

If only the medium of teaching is English. Didn’t you also put in the reply by LKY that Spore has chosen English instead of mandarin even though the majority of them are chinese? This is to avoid any race feels that that there is a preferential treatment for certain race. And using English is a wise move even though Spore’s national language is still BM. IF only the govt is willing to bring back English as the main language used in national school, barring the fact that BM is still the national language.

The thing is the national language of Singapore does include English as one of its many national languages apart from BM. So even if they choose English as the medium they still play by the rules. Now let’s see the situation in Malaysia, our only national language is BM. So with this in mind, doesn’t our education policy should be reflected to honour our constitution. Even then, other languages shouldn’t be neglected. SSS never suggest other languages be neglected. That’s why SSS comes out with the idea of teaching other languages as elective in studen’t coricullum. Be it Arabic, Mandarin, Tamil, Hindustan etc.

In fact if you guys still want to argue about the standard of national school, SSS also comes with a suggestion to do a thorough study on present education policies to seek its problems and its solutions. There are no excuses whatsoever from proponent of vernacular schools to object to these other than themselves seing other races as inferior and don’t want to see their kids mingle with other races particularly the Chinese.

The Chinese see themselves as cannot be racist in whatever circumstances. But action speak louder than words. You don’t cry foul and say other people are racist when the act of defending vernacular schools itself is racist.

jebat’s fren,
What’s wrong with school with medium of teaching in BM? U hate the Malays & everything about them don’t you? If it’s not, maybe zillions of years ago when billions of tongkang from tongsan came here, did the ancestors of those ungrateful people use the wrong map, instead of heading to England they ended up stranded in Tanah Melayu? & to cover their mistakes, they keep on telling their ungrateful progeny that this is England and everyone has to communicate in English… Is that what u trying to tell us? Huhh..

I think you are getting very emotional by asking whether I hate the malays or not. I am drawing a parallel to what Singapore has done and the result speaks louder than anything else. If our method has failed, it’s time to adopt other methods that have proven successful.

As I have stated, we recognise everything that is stated, which is BM as national language, hence it will be taught in school.

One can be emotional but as far as I am concerned, it’s about RESULT.

Typical Perkasa mindset labelling people pendatang and ungrateful. Well, the ungrateful still love the country and only ungrateful to UMNO and Perkasa :)

It got nothing to do with Perkasa, you are OUT OF PLACE and totally disregarding the history of this country by suggesting that. If you hate Malay, its people and its language so much why still holding Malaysian IC? From Acheh to Pattani to Java to Kalimantan to Sulu to Marauke, they all speaking variant of Malay language, why would a school should speak English then? More damning, why should Chinese school ever exist in that areas?

come to think of it, who really stand to lose more if there is real unity, where race no longer the priority….. and compare that with those whom we know been sidestepping this SSS thing. hmmm… the plot thickens.. :)

Well we know where Lim Kit Siang stands. Not so surprising if he defended vernacular school (SJK – C) so much. That is expected.

To me, the statement is much more damaging to NAJIB. He had once said this:-

“BN adalah sahabat sejati pendidikan sekolah cina.”
Not sure whether he said that in the capacity of BN’s chairman or it was just in his personal capacity. It looks akward if it was in BN’s Chairman capacity because one might ask, “What have UMNO and MIC got to say about it?”, since most UMNO will support SK and MIC will fight for SJK – T.

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Mr Lee:“Well, yes, because otherwise they are running around and causing havoc playing on Chinese language and culture, and accusing me of destroying Chinese education. You’ve not been here when the Communists were running around. They do not believe in the democratic process. They don’t believe in one man, one vote. They believe in one bullet, one vote. They had killer squads. But they at the same time had a united front exploiting the democratic game. It gave them cover. But my business, my job was to make sure that they did not succeed. Sometimes you just got to lock the leaders up. They are confusing the people. The reality is that if you allow these people to work up animosity against the government because it’s keeping down the Chinese language, because we’ve promoted English, keeping down Chinese culture because you have allowed English literature, and we suppress our Chinese values and the Chinese language, the Chinese press, well, you will break up the society. They harp on these things when they know they are not true. They know that if you actually do in Chinese language and culture, the Chinese will riot and the society must break up.”

and which I added..on September 16, 2010 7:03 PM

So, should we lock up the all the Indian and Chinese leaders should they protest, IF the Govt, with the intention to unite the rakyat, abolish vernacular schools?

Because “They know that if you actually do in Chinese/Indian language and culture, the Chinese/Indian will riot and the society must break up.”

Lets give MM LKY a Cabinet post to advise DSN on national economics and unity with that proven formula.

Asking a politician to do the right thing is like making a wish on an airplane in the night sky, as if it’s a shooting star. We are living in “the end of times” as prophesied by our ancient but wise forefathers. They knew that their descendants would be divided and choose clowns to ascend “the throne of power” in the end of times. It is quite inevitable… the ancients also knew that this country would have to be razed to the ground before it can make a fresh new turn and start from scratch to free itself from the materialistically secular worldly influence of the “immigrant mentality” before a new “spiritual era” can dawn. Those who have not shed their “immigrant mentality” whose once immigrant forefathers came in pursuit of wealth and riches on this soil instead of spiritual enlightenment and even more unfortunate for those who have grown fond to such mentality when they are already born “sons and daughters” of this land… they will all soon know what’s coming for them. *chuckles*

‘If only the medium of teaching is English. …IF only the govt is willing to bring back English as the main language used in national school, barring the fact that BM is still the national language.’
So jebat’s fren you would like to see BM will be like Bahasa Melayu in Singapork where very few young chainese and indian people can speak Malay. The only word the Singapork chainese can says is ‘makan’. (This is what they always think of in their life).

The chainese chauvinist supremacy thinking mind will defend chainese school because they are the racist people all this while even before Merdeka and before they came to Tanah Melayu.
The Malay is trying to defend their right only after being attacked by the racist people all this while. The Malay has secrificed a lot by willingly allow the chainese become citizen of this Tanah Melayu yet the ungrateful chainese people still think that they are not racist by attacking the Malay right. Where is the right of chainese or indian in the Constitution to have a vernacular school.

BM as a language can be taught in longer hours. Never once I recommended to shorten the periods for BM or to remove BM as a language subject in school. To preserve the language and culture (whether in China or elsewhere) is not racist, similarly to Malays who want to preserve its language and culture. I am not well versed with mandarin nor its culture as what I was made to understand from friends who studied in vernacular school, they explained that the reason why they need vernacular school is to continue to pass on the understanding of culture and language to their future generations. It’s never meant to degrade other race and think highly of their race compared to other races.

I am very sure the term and also the perception about chinese being chauvinist is driven by UMNO to scare the malays. i know you guys like to label us babi/pork (even though we consume pork, but you shouldn’t fault us for eating pork right? is that how you label your fella malaysians of different race? no wonder some of them are so disrecpectful to other races to the extent can step on cow’s head to mock others of other religion. Doesn’t Islam teach you guys to respect other race/religion?) but well, it really reflects on that kind of mindset. If you treat other race/beliefs with no compassion and respect, now you know the reason why others for not wanting to convert to Islam.

Chinese never touched about Ketuanan Cina and how could the chinese be branded as being a race supremist? Wouldn’t those who talked about “Ketuanan Melayu” are the real culprits when it comes to race supremacy?

Neither did the constitution mentioned that there shouldn’t be vernacular schools, right?

If Lim Kit Siang talks about being Malaysian first, he must indeed discard his support for vernacular schools. He must answer the challenge to help bring about unity – unity can be achieved through the single-stream schooling system. He must discard the politics of playing to the racial tune. Supporting Chinese schools is a racial matter. All schools must have Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction and Mandarin can be taught as an elective subject.

LKS has long plugged the racial line. He picked up Lee Kuan Yew’s concept of Malaysian Malaysia wanting equality without regard and acknowledgement for the Special Position of the Malays. He appears to oppose many things Malay and not respecting Bahasa Malaysia as the National Language. Now that his mentor LKY has spoken against “running around and causing havoc playing on Chinese language and culture”, LKS should follow LKY’s line. DAP is, after all, a splinter of PAP. LKS admires and glorifies LKY, at one time even dressing in white like PAP people. And LKY visited DAP some months ago.

The Malaysian Government must have balls, like LKY. “Sometimes you just got to lock the leaders up. They are confusing the people”, said he. He is very right in saying that “if you allow these people to work up animosity against the government because it’s keeping down the Chinese language … you will break up the society”. The Government must not allow that. Najib must change his position – he must realise that his many overtures to the Chinese in terms of support for Chinese schools have not brought him the votes he went after. PRK Hulu Selangor and Sibu were clear proofs. He should now take action on implementing SSS, which he said “will be done when the rakyat wants it”. He should now start measures to determine whether the rakyat wants it now or not. Referendum is the best and safest way for him.

As commented previously, we need to do what it takes to move forward, to progress.

LKY did what was needed to bring his country forward. He has every right to say whatever he wants as the results from his leadership or ‘iron grip’ policies as some say are proven today.

If we truly believe that a one school system will solve the present predicament, just implement it. The vernacular schools will continue for as long as the present government allow it to exist. If you are looking for people to blame then it is our leaders in the past and present for colluding to allow the continuation of the vernacular schools, everyone in the RAHMAN lineup approved it.

This is the most practical writeup on the language issue I have read so far, syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com/2010/09/language.html

Would be a good idea to get him on the SSS team. How about featuring it on the SSS page, SSS Admin?

JMD : Yes I agree with Syed Akbar Ali’s article above. To me, my stand is clear – One School System with PPSMI. Thank you.

Yes I support one-school system as 1Malayasia. But its medium of instruction should be English and the standards of education should be raised at least on par with vernacular school. No religious sermons in one-school system.

Dear Doomday,
THe language of the school should be the national language to further enhance it’s unifying factor.
Further I hope the quality of the school should not be lowered to vernacular standards as best students and schools are always from NAtional Type school.
As for the “religous sermons” I believe it is no different than seeing tokongs in office or going on and on about feng shui in business decisions when it really is inconsequential.

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I doubt any politician from either side will openly suport SSM as it will be a political suicide. I thought with PPSMI and with the teaching of POL as a subject, the sekolah will be a compromise in transforming sekolah kebangsaan to be more attractive to non-malays especially the chinese. But alas, the politicians decide to “kill” this and bring everything back to status quo for political mileage and at the expense of the future generation. Since my child who is a pioneer batch of PPSMI started school, teaching of POL was supposed to be a subject and 8 years later (he is now in form 2), POL is only considered a extra-curricular activity. It is so obvious for most chinese parents to decide whether to send their children to a sek kebangsaan or the sek jenis kebangsaan cina. Of course this is only one reason of the many reasons for going to a chinese school.

How did Lee Kuan Yew did it for Singapore ? All schools are english medium and every student must take up the mother tongue whereas in Malaysia we are still talking about getting the teachers to teach mother tongue. Perhaps in Singapore, it will be a lot more easier as the majority is Chinese and PM is chinese and that the medium is english which is neutral to all races. What had Kuan Yew decided to have chinese as the medium since majority of the population are chinese ? I understand that some chinese scholars were sore with Kuan Yew and still are

I guess in Malaysia we are dealing with a different senario and the fact is that it is quite impossible to do away with the sek jenis kebangsaan. Maybe this is the beauty of our diversity. All is not lost as secondary schools irrespective of sek kebangsaan or jenis kebangsaan uses one system with the exception of chinese language as one subject for jen kebangsaan cina. I doubt there is any other jenis kebangsaan schools other than chinese.

It would have been ideal that at least PPSMI be retain at the secondary level. That would have been our SSM (for the time being) until the politicians are brave enough to go for SSM at the primary level.

JMD : Beauty of diversity is a double edge sword. Right now the disadvantages of diversity is rearing its ugly head. Thank you.

What does 1Malaysia means to Kit siang ?, I dont know.
What does 1 Malaysia means to Soi lek ?, I dont know.
What does 1 Malaysia means to Soo koon ?, I dont know.
Do you think that Samay Vello can explain ? I dont know too.

What does 1Malaysia means to Najib ?, nobody knows.
To me 1Malaysia should begin with one school system with one language medium that is bahasa kebangsaan.

How i see things, back FROM basic.
Alimentary & secondary English sch was a healthy mix of all races.
Not to forget all those wanting to enrich native languages be it Arabic, Malay, Chinese or Tamil.
The best of both was illustrated when we had English medium and Malay medium education in secondary schools , option of choice. The English & Malay debating societies was a hit among the students.
We had good text of world class books as class room reading material to enhance student knowledge on par with any developed country and most encouraging was even with some secondary education (MCE) cert. one can bravely travel around the world to achieve once dream and many did after all because their had adequate general knowledge and a good command of spoken & written English.

How i see it, it that freedom of travel to pursue once dream, it is an individual.
‘s option and must be allowed without prejudice.

Money education is the many reasons why people get isolated, this situation is created due to political/business greed like the private English school education from primary to secondary and high school currently promoted in Malaysia. Only the rich and affordable will get segregated from the main stream of society like upper class/lower class.
We need to call for national referendum on education system, get to understand the root causes of our current system before rewriting.

I ONLY WISH WHO EVER BECOMES A EDUCATIONIST OR MINISTER FOR THAT MATTER WILL LOOK INTO THE CRUSTAL BALL OF THIS WORLD ON EDUCATION. DON’T JUST TARGET 2020, IT IS NOT END OF THE WORLD FOR MALAYSIAN EDUCATION. TRY SOMETHING MEANINGFUL AND ACHIEVABLE IN ONCE LIFE AND FOR MALAYSIAN IN GENERAL.